The Rhodes Not Taken
The Rhodes Not Taken is the fifth episode of Glee's first season. The episode sees Will recruit former star April Rhodes, hoping to improve the club's chances in the wake of Rachel's defection to the school musical. Finn flirts with Rachel in an attempt to convince her to return, and although Rachel is angry when she discovers Finn's girlfriend is pregnant, she ultimately rejoin's the club. Synopsis Open with the gang practicing for the upcoming Glee Invitational show. The kids tell Will they're worried they won't be able to succeed at upcoming competitions without Rachel. Finn tells Will he's not going to tell his family about Quinn being pregnant. While at dinner with Terri, Will meets a 24-year old who is still competing in a nearby high school's glee club. Will told Emma about Quinn's pregnancy. Without revealing her knowledge of Quinn's situation, Emma takes a special in interest in Finn's future and suggests he try for a music scholarship. Performing well in the sectional and regional competitions may help drum up college interest, she tells him, and she suggests trying to bring Rachel back to Glee. Finn finds Rachel working on publicity for the musical. He flirts openly with her and offers to help her run lines. Will has Emma look up the file of April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth), a classmate of his who was the biggest star of the McKinley High Glee Club and Will's first crush. He sees on her transcripts that she came several credits shy of graduating. Will finds April online, and she has him meet her at a luxury home. After pretending the mansion in hers, April is outed by a real estate agent as a squatter. Outside April tells Will she went to New York with her high school sweetheart and never ended up making it big. She agrees to come back to McKinley, take a few courses to graduate and join Glee again. The Glee kids aren't convinced April can be as good as Rachel. To prove her skills, April performs "Maybe This Time," with Rachel joining in towards the end from the auditorium. April's so good, Kurt cries. Still Will doesn't think the kids in Glee have accepted April socially. He suggests she try and win them over. This involves April introducing Kurt to booze, teaching Mercedes and Tina how to shoplift and flirting mercilessly (and showering) with the football guys. Sandy isn't happy with Rachel's work in Cabaret, primarily because he wants to install himself in the play. Finn works with Rachel on her lines. He suggests they go bowling together to relieve some stress. Rachel and Finn are shocked when Will comes in to teach April "Don't Stop Believing," which should have been Rachel's song. A drunken Kurt throws up on Emma in the hallway. After several decontamination showers, Emma tells Will that April is a bad influence on the kids. After Sandy yells at Rachel once again she runs to the bathroom to cry. There she bumps into April and the two have an argument. April promises Rachel that she is never going to relinquish her renewed role as school star. Finn and Rachel are at the bowling alley, as are Will and April. Will expresses his concern that April is a poor influence, and she tells him she will go back on the wagon. He then confesses his dream was for them to perform together. They do a quick duet of Heart's "Alone." Finn tells Rachel everybody misses her in Glee. They eventually end up kissing, and he convinces her to quit the musical and return to Glee. Puck tells everyone in Glee that Quinn's strange behavior (puking, etc.) is the result of a "bun in the oven" and that Finn is the father (even though Puck's the real father). Just then Rachel walks in to rejoin Glee. Kurt tells her about Finn and Quinn's pregnancy, and Rachel is stunned. After bringing Emma an application for a music scholarship, Finn is confronted by Rachel in the hallway with a satisfying slap. She is upset he didn't tell her about Quinn and says now she will never return to Glee. Sue gives Rachel complete creative control over Cabaret. April shows up drunk for the Invitational performance. Emma thinks Will shouldn't let her go on. He decides yanking her would only be punishing the other kids. Glee goes on, with April doing a rousing rendition of Carrie Underwood's "Last Name." Rachel watches from the back, obviously upset. After the first number Will tells April he can't let her go back on stage. April agrees, telling Will the kids are lucky they have him to prevent their lives from turning out the way hers did. Needing a new lead, Rachel steps in -- sucking up her pride to be the "understudy" and helps Glee knock "Somebody to Love" out of the park in the second act. Featured Music * "Don't Stop Believin'": by Journey.. Sung by New Directions. * "Maybe This Time": by Liza Minnelli. Sung by April Rhodes and Rachel Berry. * "Cabaret" from Cabaret. Sung by Rachel Berry. * "Alone": by Heart. Sung by Will Schuester and April Rhodes. * "Last Name": by Carrie Underwood. Sung by New Directions. * "Somebody to Love": by Queen. Sung by New Directions. Quotes ' Guest Stars '''Kristin Chenoweth' as April Rhodes Rhodes Not Taken Category:Season One Category:April Rhodes Category:Glee (TV series) Category:Glee Episodes Category:Kurt Hummel Category:Rachel Berry Category:Finn Hudson Category:Will Schuester Category:Sandy Ryerson Category:Sue Sylvester Category:The Rhodes Not Taken Category:Last Name Category:Don't Stop Believin Category:Maybe This Time Category:Cabaret Category:Alone Category:Somebody To Love Category:Episode 5 Category:Journey Category:Cabaret Category:Heart Category:Carrie Underwood Category:Queen